Indicator



A. POIRIER INDICATOR l oct. so, 1923.

Filed Aug. 2l, 1922 el: Q g 012-34567 o D. UND 0R EACH DOZ'Y Vn/f I l l ...l

Patented @et 30, 1923.

.ALPHONSE POIRIER, F SPOKANE, WASHIITGPI0Nl INDICATOR.

Application filed `August 21, 1922. Serial No. 583,074.

To all whom. t may concern Be it known that I, ALPHONSE POIRIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of lVashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicators, of which the following is a specification. l

This invention relates to indicators for exhibiting the price of merchandise, and designed to take the place of the usual tags ordinarily employed for this purpose.

The invention has for its object to provide a novel and improved indicator for the purpose stated, which is provided with a changeable reading so that the information to be displayed may be readily changed.

The invention also has for its object to provide an indicator ofthe kind stated which is durable and practical, and simple in construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide an indicator in which the reading matter to be displayed can be changed without removing the device from the shelf or other support on which it is mounted.

llith the objects stated in view, the invention consists in a combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that the same may be better understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section thereof; Fig.'3 is an enlarged cross section on the line of Fig. 1; Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are plan views of the indicator belts; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of thedevice showing an auxiliary indicator element, and Fig. 8 is a rear elevation of a device showing a pin fastener associated therewith.

Referring specifically to the drawing, the device consists of a supporting frame carry- .ing a number of charactered belts of paper, Celluloid or other suitable material, having their ends connected to rollers so that they may be wound on one roller as they are unwound from the other for selective-ly displaying the characters thereon. In the present instance, three belts are used, but their number is immaterial and may be varied according to the information to be displayed. The belts are denoted by the reference characters 10, 11 and 12, respectively, and each belt is connected at its ends to a roller 13. The supporting frame of the device is a base plate 111 across t-he face of which the belts are trained, and in order to protect the latter from dirt, iiies, dust and the like, a strip 15 of mica or similar transparent material is provided beneath which the belt is located, said strip being removably attached to the base plate by small tongues 16 struck out from the same. The base plate 14 has rearwardly directed top and bottom flanges 17 and 18, whereby the device may be mounted on the edge of a shelf denoted by dotted lines at 19 in Fig. 3. The bottom iiange has an upward curve and is resilient, so that when the two fianges are forced over the edge of the shelf, they will grip the same and firmly hold the device in place. The extremity of the bottom flange is also provided with two laterally spaced rolls 20 which are in longitudinal alinement and serve to hold a pin 21 having its shank provided with two diverging resilient branches 22 the extremities of which have outward lateral bends 23. Upon squeezing the branches 22 together and placing them between the opposed ends of the rolls 2O so as to bring the bends 23 in line with the latter, and then releasing tbe branches, they spread and the bends 23 enter the rolls. 3" The pin 21 is now securely anchored to the device, and by means of said pin the device may be stuck into any article such as a piece of cheese, meat or anything else that is not kept on a shelf or in boxes. Where goods are kept on a shelf or a table, or in a boX, the flanges 17 and 18 will be employed for attaching the device to such shelf or box by slipping said flanges over the edge thereof. It will be understood, of course, that when the device is applied to a shelf it will be positioned directly in front of the article the price of which it is to indicate.

Each roller 13 is in the shape of a split pin provided. with a flat head 24. at one end, and having the free ends of its branches bent laterally as shown at 25. The ends of the belts are clamped between the branches of the pins. In parallel portions of the flanges 17 and 18, adjacent to the base plate 14.-, are alined apertures in which the pins seat, the heads 24 being beneath the bottom flange, and the bends 25 above the top flange to prevent the pins from becoming separated from the anges. The pins are located behind the base plate 14, and the end belts pass around the ends of said plate and llO through vertical slots 26 inr the plate intermediate the ends thereof. The intermediate belt also passes through the slots 26.

The belt l() is shown provided with the characters O to 9, each, Doa, Yd, Pound and For. The belt 1l contains the characters O and l to 9 with a decimal point before the same. The belt l2 contains the characters 0f/, le and so up to Qc, By this arangenient ot' characters the belts can be adjusted to display a large variety of information, as for instance, the price of a yard of goods, a single article, a dozen, or a pound. The portions of the belts which are displayed come closelytogether at their adjacent ends so that the inscriptions can be easily read.

At 27 is shown an auxiliary indicator element consisting of a strip having rearwardly directed top and bottom flanges 28 adapted to be slipped over the 'flanges 17 and 1.8 to position the strip vertically in :trent oiz the exposed or display portions of the belts. This strip contains the inscription For,

and it may be Y placed between the adjacent ends ot the belts l0 and il, as shown in Fig. so that the indicatornow displays the cost of a certain number' of articles. Similar strips ina-y be provided containing the inscriptions Dorn and Yds lt will be evident from the foregoing that the invention provides a simple and practical price indicator, and while the preferred structure has been disclosed, it will be understood that various changes and modifications Inay be made without 'a departure from the spirit and scope ot the invention as claimed hereinafter. The characters or inscriptions on the belts can be arranged in various ways, and others may be provided according to the character of the business and the nature of the articles With which the device is to be associated. The trarne of the device may be madevof sheet metal Celluloid or any other suitable material.

l claim: i

l. An indicator comprising a base plate having rearwardly directed top and bottom flanges, charactered belts extending across the face ot the base plate, rollers to which the ends of the belts are connected, said rollers being located behind the base plate between the aforesaidr flanges and journaled therein, andan auxiliary indicator ineinber comprising a charactered strip adapted to be positioned across the ex# posed portions ot the belts and having top and bottom retainingY flangesv engageable with the first-mentioned flanges.

2. An indicator comprising a base plate having rearwardly directed top and bottom flanges, the bottom lange having its extremity provided with a pair of laterally spaced rolls, a supporting pin having its shank provided with a pair ot resilient diverging branches having lateral bends at their extremities adapted to be removably inserted into the rolls, charactered belts extending across the tace of the base plate, and rollers to which the ends ot thebelts are connected, said rollers being located behind the base plate between the aforesaid-flanges and journaled therein. 1

3. An indicator comprising a support, charactered belts extending across the face thereof, rollers carried by the support, the ends ofthe belts being connected to the rollers, and an auxiliary indicator-member cornprising a charactered strip adapted to be positioned across the exposed portions of the belts, said strip being` carried by the Support.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

ALPHONSE POIRIER. 

